June-Marie, a self-taught artist, specializes in acrylic paintings of people within a larger scene that tell a story: “I remember as a child forever kneeling on my aunt’s sofa, studying a painting on the wall above of two old-world looking men leaning against a seawall, staring out to sea. The dusk-lit sky, last light breaking through darkening clouds, reflecting on harbor waters dotted with lantern lit sailboats, was the beautiful dominant scene. But I kept wondering what those two guys were thinking or talking about.” The artist, Tom, was just one of several relatives in June-Marie’s family background who painted or wrote novels or poetry. The world of the arts came early in her life: “Art, whether in image or word, has always been an innate part of me. Time and again throughout my life I’ve always come back to the brush or pen to make sense of my world.”
Having studied English Literature and History in college, June-Marie began her career as an English and Literature teacher. Summers afforded ample opportunity for self-expression where she eventually wrote hundreds of poems. At the same time, she began painting renaissance characters: “I loved going to renaissance faires which was what really got me painting consistently.” These paintings in time formed her Renaissance series, a gallery replete with poignant stories about the human condition. Next were the Civil War reenactments and a subsequent gallery series based on a war which, as much as any, tells the conflicting story of human potential. In sharing this series at reenactment showings, June-Marie for the first time wrote poetic narratives to accompany her paintings. She also began selling giclees and prints of her art.
Interspersed between teaching years and years raising her two sons, June-Marie has been commissioned to do many portraits of children, pets, families, parents, etc. as requested and has always encouraged compositions that tell a story. As life experiences have led her in recent years, her collection of gallery series has also greatly expanded, with ever-increasing verse and poetic narrations.
“It is my hope that my prose and poetry give thoughtful depth to otherwise seemingly subtle scenes that both quietly comfort and move the viewer. Art is certainly something to get lost in, to escape the trauma or drone of everyday life. To that extent, it must be balanced and beautiful; yet it can’t be just a pretty picture. I strive to add at least a quiet dissonance in its storytelling that nudges people to reach for something better in their humanity. While I certainly believe neither I nor anyone else has a cornerstone on humanity’s best truth, I have come to realize two constant values that I hope my art conveys: Diversity and Connection – diversity in that life in its differences is equally valued and infinitely richer for its existence – connection in that for all our differences, all life is interconnected and purposely so for our collective survival. To these beliefs, I can refer to the Animals gallery as ‘They’re Only Human.’ I can ‘Listen to the Children’ who come into this world with no prejudice. I can pray for ‘Sharing One Planet’ in our environment. I can appeal to all to ‘Believe’ in something bigger than themselves, whether that connection be to their faith or humanity. I can see that embracing ‘Out of Many, One’ brings a society richer in social justice. Nothing less than a ‘rebirth of mind and spirit,’ a renaissance of all human potential, born in our forbearers centuries ago, is the ongoing order of the day. I can rest assured that ‘onward and upward’ our world will undoubtedly move, if only the ideologies of the American frontier continue to grow and lead the world in its celebration of the many varied talents of all mankind working together.
Now that the kids have grown, I long for a more full-scale immersion into sharing the interconnected art that has always quietly thrived in my life – both image and word. Most importantly, I look forward to a thoughtful connection with more of you and the new unfolding rich story which then begins.”
